Gas-explosive device and compressor for reversible engines.



lie. 241,859. BATENTED JAN. .52, 1907. c. M. GAY. GAS EXPLOSIVE DEVICE AND COMPRESSOR FOR REVERSIBLE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 1904.

2 Sumssum 1.

.No. 841,859. PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907..

- GAS EXPLOSIVE DEVIGEAND COMPRESSOR FOR REVERSIBLE ENGINES.

0. M. GAY.

APPLICATION IILED.I'EB, 6. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m/Wsses %W w v To all whom it may concern:

' Engines ;and

.- to l 3 or similar engines; and its dbject is the pressure generated engines or motors,

crease the efliciency,

I mrnn sr 'rns PATENT orrron.

cA ssjrU's M.

No. 841,859. I

GAY, OF'ALLEGHENY, txetoswe Device ANDYICOMPBESS-OR For; atvmslsirruemrsg Specification of Let PENNSYLVANIA.

ters Patent.

Application fil d February 6, 1904. Serial No. 192.306.

Be it known that I, CAs'srus M. GAY, a resig dent of Allegheny, in the county-of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, new and usefullmprovement in a Gas-Explosive Device and Compressor for Reversible I do hereby declare the follow- ,ing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention an arrangement of apparatus for operating bv means of.

reversing and similar engines pressure generated 'by firing exp osive' gases or, mixtures thereof and storing' 'the same in a pressure-tank, the particular arrangement of the apparatus shown andclaimed'in said application-being such as to utilize the energy of the several explosions to compress prereducing and reversing gearing, and o taine all the efliciency of into a pressure-tank,

es and force the same rom whichsaid gases were to, be taken to an ordinary reversing engine, the latter thus operating in .the same manner as an ordiria reversing steam-engine. By this means overcame the severe vibrations caused by explosive-engines, away with ,the complicated and heav speed viously-exploded char control of an ordinary steam-engine, but did away-with the of freezing and the heavy boilers, burners, and water-tank necessary for steam-engines. The present invention relates to the same subject-matter as my application above described and has the same general objects invview. The apparatus shown in my prior application delivers the exploded. gas of one, explosion into the pressure-tank at the termipkal e pressure or the succeeding explosion.

deliver the exploded. gas to the-pressure-tank or engine at the initial pressureiof each explosion, whereby a higher may-be secure and greater efficiency and economy attained.

have mvented a .welhknown type at present accumulator2 which; in its general functions. may be said tion, and Fig. 2i in the use of two explosion-cylinders.

n carrying out my invention 1 make use of a reversing engine 1, which may be of any used for. automobiles and sim'lar purposes and designed to use steam. to a boiler l connect it to a pressure-tan to takethe place of the steamdrum of a .boiler when the engine is operated oils, these gases bein valve 7, mto an exp pump 5 may did liability 5 present invention isan apparatus which will degreeof pressure.

cylinder-chamber and beingr pi e 15,'with the .bysteam.

With my invention, however, this tank serves to store exploded gases un-, der ressure. I

T e gases to be used may-be of any form either specially-produced gases or. resulting from the evaporation of gasolene or other mixed with air, as is t eusual custom. 5' The gas or mixtureof gas and air is supplied'by.

the pipe i and is forced, by nieans'ofa pumpl' i I 80.

suction-valve 6 and dischargelosion chamber 8. The be dIlVBil b i I as the small gaso ene-motor 9 or any 5, having a tor, such other-suitable motor driven from an ,1Ildependent source of power.

The pump explosion-cylinder by leading through the head 11. of said cy by means of a port which automatically-o eratin valve 12,- the latter opening inwar 1y wit on its seat by a spring 13. port.14, which'iis connected, by means of any cy indei' is a" piston 16, which Instead of connecting this engine PatentedJan. 22,1907,-

v is a sectional diagram illustrating mvinven s a similar diagram i lustrat -i present used in explosive-engines, being used either alone or ,anysuitable mois controlled by an i i. reference to the normally held I his head ofth'e di cylinder is vallso prov1ded with'a discharge-f" pressure-tank 2. In the is normallyl j held against the head 11 by means of aspring p 17 or equivalent arran ement; The pipes connecte with the inlet and outlet ports are provided with positively-.1 v actuated valves 18' and 19,

These may be of various forms, as ordinary two-way cocks;

may be operated in any suitable way, butpreferably from e accomplished by providing said piston with both directions through of the cylinder. 'Preferably, however the piston 16' will be entirely guide-rods extending in one or ioo respectively. being shown These valves the piston 16. This may stuffing-boxes in theheads' 'Iro I inclosed..and not f i j I the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 provided with even a gu1de-rod Projecting 1s connected'to one end of th means. of a pip .10

lnder,

' and tendsto restore 4o opposite-direction. A

through the heads of the cylinders are a pair of plungers 21 andv 22, which lie in the path of movement of the piston and will be actuated thereby. The rod- 21 is connected to- 5 a pair of levers 23 and 24, the-former being connected. by a link 25 to an arm 26 on the inlet-valve 18, while the latter isconnected by a similar link 25 to an arm 27 on the outlet-valve 19. The rod 22 contacts o with one arm of a bell-crank lever" 29, the'' opposite arm of which is connected to a recipe rocating member30" which at its-outer end is provided with a 00k 31 for engaging a projection on the end oi the link 25 when r 5 the latter descends, said reciprocating'memher-3O being held undertension of a s r111 32', so that it wii I serve as a lock for ho ding the link 25 in its depressed position. A

spiral spring 33 bears against the. lever 24- mal osition whenithe look is released, as it will v e when the piston 16' actuates the rod 22. By means of the levers 23' and 2 4 the valves 18 and 19 are connected'together, so 25 that they will operate in unison and will be moved in one direction whenthe pi'stoir 1'6' contacts with the rod 21" and] in the opposite direction whenthe piston contacts with the rod 22', thus disengaging the lock 31" from 0 the linlit 25 and perm tting the s ring 33' to move the valves. These twov'a ves are'op positely arranged, so that when'the inletvalve 1'8 is. open the outlet-valve 1 9'willbe olosed, and' v1ce versa.

5 The upper end of the cylinder 8 is con ----""'nected to the pressure-tank 2 by means oi'T a pipe '36 having therein a check-valve 37' so, arrange d. as to permit v firom' the tank to the cylinder, but not in. the

ipe 38' also connects e pressure-tank with the cylinder and enters the latter at a point just above the piston '16 when the latter is'i'n its normal or de ressed' osition. p

The exp osions in the cylinder 8 may be produced by any suitable igniting device, and'I have shown dia ammatically a sparkplug 39, rojecting t ion h the head .11 of the cylindfer and connects in circuit withasuitable source of electrical energy, such as the battery 40, and-adapted to be energized by any suitable means, such as the rotating cn'cuit-closingdevice 41, actuated, preferably,

' by the motor 9, the arrangement being such as to secure, if necessary, one explosion for each stroke'of the pump, but preferably only once for every several strokes of the charging-pump, as may be found necessary or desirable.

do In order to preventthe overcharging of the pressure-tank 2' and also prevent waste of the explosive mixture or gas, means is provided for stopping the how of explosive mixtune to the explosion-cylinder when the pres- 5 sure in the tank 2 has reached the desired dethe valvesto their nor expansive force of th I the the pressure medium in the t the tank 2',

is as follows: The

I explosion cylind'er and piston 1 6',"the inlet-valve 18 being. 0 en' and the outlet-valve 19 being. closed,

slightly move the piston 16'.

cylinder. As soon, however,

gree. The means for this a y-pass pipe 45, leading from the discharge side 7 of the pump back to the suction-side 6 thereof. In this by-pass 1 place a controllingvalve, that shown eing an ordinary threeway cook 46', which controls both pass pipe 45 and the purpose comprises theby-w. pipe 10,;leading to the explosion-cylinder, the cock being so arj- V ranged thatin one p pipe to the cylinder and close the by-pass and in the other posi cylinder; This valve will be controlled by osition it'will open the 5 1-75 tion will open'the by-, pass andiclbs'e the passage to theexplosionany suitable intermediate mechanism'from pressure-tank 2, such as connecting tosaid tank a fitting having therein a piston:

47', which is held inwardly by 48 orcounterweight and is tank 2;:

piston will be connected by any mechanical means to the controlling-cock 46', and in the drawings I have shown a bell-crank lever 49- connected to the piston and connected, by means of' the links 50 and 51 and intermedi'- ate hell crank-lever'52', toan arm 53 on the. cook 46''. In actualipractice the controlling valve 46 willbe placed in close roximit'y to so that the long lin s 50' and 51'' a'nd' other connecting means can with. The diagram shown in the drawin n the position he operation of t e pump giving suflicient' pressure to unseat the check valve 1 2' and" probably to sufiicient charge'has been forced intothe cylinderit will be ex lbded, and the hack pressure caused there "y will seat the valve 12 an'd'prevent the expansive force of' the exploded' gas from escapin back into the pump. The discharge-Va ve 19 will be closed at the time of the explosion, and the e explosion will move the piston 16 toward the opposite end of'th'e as the pistonis moved a distance equal to its thickness it will uncover the port connected by the pipe 38 to the'pressure-tank, and as a consequence the pressure of the explosion at substantially the initial ressure of. the explosion will es cape direct y into the tank and from there wi l pass the check-valve 37 andinto the upper endof the cylinder behind the piston 16'. As a consequence the gas-pressures on both a'strongspring ac'ted upon by This a be dispensed. I

. '95 .gmerely-represents the essential elements of the invention andis not intended to illustrate fthe exact location of the several parts, the f parts having been placed i shown inthe diagram for the sake of clearness and. to prevent confusion as't-o't'he relations-and functions thereof.

the pressure to pass loo sides of-the piston will be balanced, and the spring 17 will be able to force the piston 16 to its normal position. The force of the ex plosion, however, will have driven the piston 16 to such a distance as to strike the plunger 21, thus forcing the latter outwardly and through the connecting-levers 23 and 24 moving the valves 18 and 19 to the reversepositionthat is, closing the inlet-valve and opening the outlet-valve. The piston 16 will be cushioned at the limit of its movement both by the spring 17 and by the pressure of the gas behind the same, the latter being preventedfrom again escaping to the tank 2 by reason of the check-valve 37 In the movement of the valvesT'to their reverse positions the projection on the lower end of the link 25 will be caught by the hook 31 of the member 30, thus locking the valves in this position-that is, with the outlet-valve open and the inlet-valve closed. When the Tani iii J Jr spring 17 returns the piston 16 tel-its normal position, the latter willforce all of the exploded'gas in the lower end of the cylinder out through the port 14, ou'tlet-valvel and pipe 15 to the tank 2, so that practically no exploded gas will be between the'piston and the head 11 of the cylinder. At the limit of v' the movement of the piston 16 it will contact with the rod 22,'and the latter through f the bell-crank lever 29 will actuate the n1 em ber 30 so as to release the link 25, thus permitting the spring 33 to return the valves to their initial position, so thatthe pump will again force a charge under the. piston '16,

which charge will at theproper time be again exploded and the foregoing operation ren will be'seen that atali'times therewill be above the iston 16- a that in the tan '2; but the orce of the explo ressure equal to I .sion will besufficientto drive the piston 16 the cylinder will act as a cushion or thgxp ton. As soon as the piston has moved 0 against this pressure,"as' well as against the sprin 17, and said spring and the gas confined etweenthe piston and the up er head of isy a short distance the explosive mixture Will escape directly into the cylinder and will then I to the tank 2 at the initial pressure of the ex- ,plosions, and the spring 17 will merely have turned to its normal position. The "lively-actuated valve 19 preventsthe ofthe explosion from passing directly to the equalize itself above and'below the iston. In this way the pressure-gases are de ivered to move the piston 16 back to its initial position. The automatically-closed valve 12 prevents the pressure of an explosion from acking into the pump, while the positivelyactuated valve 18 revents the pump from forcing a fresh supp y of gas into the cylinder before the piston 16 has been entirely retank 2 at the moment of explosion, thus causing it to-expend itself in starting the moveweight and through the links an charge side of the pump to the suction side plosive-engines.

posiorce ment of the piston 16 toward the opposite end of the cylinder; but said valve permits all the exploded gas to be driven from between the piston and the head 11 of the cylinder. 7o

As soon as the pressure in the tank 2 has reached the desired tension the piston 47 will be moved against its 1 controllin spring or d bell-crank levers shown the three-way cook 46 will be 7 5 l turned to close the passage to the explosionchamber 8 and open the byass 45, thus permitting the pump to run id l the ex losive mixture being merely circulated from t e disthereof. This prevents the accumulation of dangerous pressures in the tank 2 and also prevents the Waste of the explosive mixture.- As soon as the pressure in the tank 2 falls materially the piston '47 will be moved inwardly by its balancing spring or weight, thus moving the three-Way cock 46 to its original and at the same time entirely dispensin with also the boiler, heater, and" connections an eliminating the danger of freezing. The engine is therefore practically a gas-driven engine; but as it is of the reversing type it can e what any desired speed and can be readily reversed, thus dispensing with the usual I speed-reducing, reversing, and friction gear: ing and inclosing casing employed ex- The size of the pressure-tank is not material. In fact, it may be'reduced so that it is nothing more than a pipe serving to connect the pipes 1-5, 36, and 38, coming from the explosion-c linder. a

It is o vious that many modifications in .the details of my invention may be made 11 5 Without departing, from the spirit thereof, most of the mechanical features shown being capable of being displaced by other means for producing the same result, such as employing anair-oushion in heu of the spring for 1 2o I returning the piston. v 1 If desired, a series ofexplosiomcylinders 8.

may be employed in connection with a single pressure-tank 2. In Fig. 2 such an arrangethereto a air of explosion-cylinders 8 and 8*. The details of pipe-and-valve arrangements for each of these cylinders are identical with the cylinder shown in Fig. 1. The igniting devices 39 39 ofthe two cylinders are 1 0 ment isshown', the tank 2 having connected I2 5 lace alternately. Many of the .details have been omitted in this view to prevent confusion; but the principle thereof can be ex tended so that any number of compressioncylinders may be used with a single pressuretank, the only essential being that the igniting devices'shall be so arranged as to cause explosions in the several cylinders in regular succession.

A single pump maybe used for supplying all of the explosion-cylinders or a separate. pump may be used for each of the cylinders.

' hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, -is v 1. In apparatus of the character specified, the combination of an explosion-cylinder, an imperforate piston therein, inlet and outlet ports into said cylinder, valves in said ports operated from said piston, igniting means in said cylinder, means for deliveringthe. ex-

ploded gases from said cylinder at'substan-' tially the initial pressure of each explosion, and an equalizing passage between the two ends of the cylinder.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an explosion-cylinder, an imperforate piston therein, an equalizingpassage between 'thetwo ends of said cylinder whereby apreviously-exploded charge holds said piston normally at one end of said cylinder, means for forcing gas into the cylinder between the piston in its normal position and the adjacent head of the cylinder,

igniting means in said cylinder, and means for delivering the exploded gases from said cylinder at substantially the initial pressure of each explosion. v

' In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an explosion-cylinder having no communication to the atmosphere, a piston therein, means for normally iolding said piston against one head of said cylinder, an inlet-port arranged'to deliver gas between said head and. piston when in its normal position, igniting means adjacent to said head arranged to explode the charge of gas when said piston is in ts normal position, an outlet from the cylinder adjacent to said head, whereby exploded gas is delivered from the cylinder at substantially the initial pressure of each explosion, and connections arranged to equalize the pressure on opposite sides of said piston.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an explosion-cylinder having no communication to the atmosphere, a piston therein, means for normally olding said piston against one head of said I cylinder, an inlet-port arranged to deliver gases between said head and piston when the latter is in its normal position, means arranged to ignite the charge of gas with'the piston in its normal position, an outlet from the cylinder adjacent to said head, and a pipe and valve arranged to admit the pressure of prior explosions into the .cylinder on the opposite side of the piston.

5. In apparatus of the character described,

the combination of an explosion-cylinder having no communication to the atmosphere, a piston therein, means for normally holding said piston at one end of said cylinder, means for exploding successive charges of gases between said piston and the head of the cylinder with which it is normally in contact, and a pipe arranged to admit the pressure of prior explosions into the cylinder "(in the opposite side of said piston. 6. In apparatus of the character described,

the combination of an explosion-cylinder, a piston therein, means for normally holding said piston at one end of said cylinder, valvecontrolled inlet and outlet ports to the same end of said cylinder, igniting means in said cylinder, and a pipe and valve arranged to admit the pressure of prior explosions into the eylinder'on the opposite side of the piston.

7. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a single explosion-cylinder having no communication to the atmosphere, a piston contained within said cylinder, valve-controlled inlet and outlet ports to said cylinder, said valves being so arranged that when one is open'the other is closed, means controlled from said piston for operating said valves, means for normally holding said piston against one head of said cylinder, means for exploding a charge of gas'between said head and said piston, and means for delivering the exploded gases from said cylinder at substantially the initial pressure of each explosion.

8. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a single explosion-cylinder, having no communication'to the atmosphere, an imperforated piston therein, igniting means in said cylinder, inlet and discharge valves for said cylinder so arranged that when one is open the other isclosed,

means controlled by the iston when moving in both directions for s ifting said valves,

means for moving the piston against the force of an explosion, apressure-tank, and pipe connections between the same and cylinder so arranged that the exploded gases are delivered to the pressure-tank at substantially the initial pressure of each explosion.

9. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a single explosion-cylinder having one communication to the atmosphere, an im erforate pistomtherein, an igniter in sai cylinder, inlet and discharge valves for said cylinder, said valves being so arranged that when one is open the other is closed, means rejecting into the cylinder into the path 0? the piston and arranged to.

no N

piston against the force of an explosion, a.

, pressure-tank, and pipe connections between the same and cylinder. so arranged that the exploded gases are delivered to the pressuretank at substantiallythe initial pressure of each explosion.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with an explosioncylinder, a piston therein, igniting means in said cylinder, inlet and discharge valves for the cylinder so arranged that when one is 0 en the other is. closed, a rod projecting into t ecylinder into the path of the piston and connected directly to the valves and arranged to shift them in one direction, a spring for returning the valves to their normal position, a lock for restraining said spring against action, and releasing means for said lock arranged to be actuated from the piston in the cylinder.

11. In apparatus of the character doscri'ned, the combination with a single explosion-cylinder, an imperforate piston therein, means for normally holding said pisl on at one end of the cylinder, means for forcing an explosion charge between said cylinder end and the piston, means for igniting the gas in the cylinder, between said cylinder end and piston, inlet and discharge valves I or said (-ylinder so arranged that when one is open the other is closed, means operated by the )iston when moving in both directions to shiit said valves, a pressure-tank, and pipe connections between the same and the cylinder so arranged that the exploded gases are delivered to the pressure-tank at substantially the initial pressure of each explosion.

12. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an explosioncylinder, an imperforate piston therein, means for normally holding said piston against one head of the cylinder, means for forcing an explosive charge between said piston and said cylinder-head, igniting means, and a normally open outlet from the cylinder on the opposite side of the piston when in its normal position.

13. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an explosion-cylinder, a piston therein, means for normally holding said piston at one end of the cylinder, a valve-controlled inlet-port to the cylinder, means for igniting the gas in said cylinder on one side of the piston, a pressure-tank, and a normally open passage from the tank to-the cylinder on the o posite side of the piston when in its n0rmal position.

14. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an explosion-cylinder, a piston therein, means for normally v holding said piston at one end of the cylinder, a valve-controlled inlet port into the'same end of said cylinder, means for igniting the gas in said cylinder on one side of the piston, a pressure-tank, and a normally open passage from the tank to the cylinder on the opposite side of thepiston when in its normal'position.

15'. In apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of an explosion-cylinder, a piston therein, means for normally holding the same at one end of the cylinder, a valve-controlled inlet-port in the same end of said cylinder, means for exploding gases in said cylinder, a pressure-tank, a pipe connecting the same with the end of the cylinder opposite that at which, the piston normally rests, a check-valve in said pipe arranged to prevent gases from passing from the cylinder to the tank, and a pipe connecting the inlet end of thecylinder with said tank. 16. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an explosion-cylinder, a iston therein, means for normally holding the piston at one end of the cylinder, a valve-controlled inlet-port in the same end of the cylinder, means for exploding the gas in said cylinder, a pressure-tank, a normally open pipe connecting said tank with said cylinder and entering the latter in close proximity to the piston when in its normal position a pipe connecting the opposite end of the cylinder with the pressure-tank, and a checkvalve in said last-named pipe arranged to prevent the gas from passing from the cylinder to the tank.

17. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an explosion-cylinder, a piston therein, means for normally holding said piston at one end of said cylinder, valve-controlled inlet and outlet ports inder and opening into the latter in closeproximity to the piston when in its normal position.

. In testimony whereof I, the said OAssIUs M. GAY, have hereunto set my hand.

CASSI'US M.GAY. Witnessesz 7 JAMES I. KEYS, MARGARET -C. KEEBLE.

a normally 

